Hi Guys
Being a Foreigner living in Malaysia , It astounds me to read through the New National Automotive Policy. The Points being raised are absolutely Frivolous and Absurd and Reflect poorly on the government to address and ease the lives of the Citizens in Malaysia.
This Whole move is a measure to provide security to a Local Manufacturer , that cannot build cars that will suitably be able to compete with any rivals in the same category , I am sure that anyone on this site , If given the option between a Honda City / Toyota Vios as opposed to the Proton equivalent in a free market economy , will definately choose the Japanese Alternatives , Simply because they Provide exceptional Value , Reliability , and have a tendency to outlast , Out perform and outprice the local offerings on a price vs Spec vs Reliabilty and Resale Value .
The JD Powers & associates survey should never serve as a Feather in the cap of Proton , Fair enough the Saga has performed Well , But it is the only model in the Entire lineup that has scored a decent Result , and it comes after the Japanese rivals from Honda and Toyota that it competes against in the first 6 months of ownership only, most problems with build quality rarely become apparent in that time frame, So Proton still has a lot to learn , And using a Survey like this as a trump card to Promote their well establised Insecurites , will only help them in becoming complacent
In a company as old as Proton, providing security through the means of exhorbitant taxes and the AP system , is just protecting an Industry thats doomed to failure , since in a free market enviroment , Proton would be forced to Improve Quality, Lower production Costs and streamline operations to be Competitive which in the process leads to research and developement and the end result is Quality that is on Par with other manufacturers , The Infrasrtucture required is already in place , All that is needed is efficient Quality Control , Good Management and good marketing to remove Proton from the Doldrums it currently finds itself in. This move to Protect the local industry will be defended by the powers that be , But in the Long term , Proton will have to streamline as the local Market is in no way large enough to absorb the Entire Production and Export markets will have to be found to buy up the surplus , If quality is such a problem , which countries will consider Proton , So protection is just delaying the Process which would have to be addressed to ensure the Sustainability of the local Manufacturer.
Another Issue that needs to be addressed is the question of the Road tax in Malaysia , I find it absurd to impose tax tiers based on the Capacity of the vehicle , ie upto 2.4 capacity , and then higher tax as the Capacity of the Engine increases , The Rationale behind this , I assume , is that if you can afford a bigger car , then surely you can afford the Higher tax , these trivial and childish issues are irrelevant when applied to the impact on infrastructure. Wear and tear on the national roads system is in no way proportionate to engine capacity , but directly proportionate to the Curb weight of the Vehicle , Ie a heavier car will affect the road infrastucture far more severely than a lighter car with a bigger engine , this Impact on Infrastucture is what costs the government money to continually repair Potholes and other hazards on the roads which are a routine occurence in Malaysia, But since the money Making Machine of Imposing tax on displacement results in alot of revenue, and the fact that most people prefer a Powerful car when choosing a Family Saloon , this provides a captive market and the choice to streamline this aspect will not be forthcoming anytime soon
Another issue is that of Spare Parts , Is the primary rationale behind this move to curb supply because no Revenue is generated when a Car is stripped and the Parts sold as Stand alone units? Does anyone even bother to calculate the costs to the Economy of an Indifferent move of this Nature, How many Jobs will be Affected , How many companies would literally run themselves out of business just to comply with regulation?
Why is specific mention made of the Bumi aspect when the powers that be, firmly support and Introduce a 1 Malaysia concept?
Clearly the Legislation is poorly thought out , and would require a serious rethink to be effective in promoting the interests of malaysia as a credible investment alternative to other manufacturers, And to the development of local industry that would turn an inefficient Manufacturer into a quality assured , competitive force in the Global market
*faint*
